President's Note, Nov 12

The election of a president who routinely threatens journalists and immigrants offers a challenge for a program focused on journalists in exile.?

I signed on to a letter earlier this year with many other journalism programs, promising that Alfred Friendly Press Partners would help journalists who were displaced. Thousands of journalists have arrived on American shores after facing both physical and legal harassment in places like Nicaragua, Venezuela and Belarus.?

Evan Gershkovich, a Wall Street Journal reporter, was in jail in Russia at the time. While he’s now free, there are many others. Jimmy Lai, a Hong Kong media owner and free press advocate, remains in a Chinese prison.

We don’t know whether election rhetoric will turn into reality, but our organization is already thinking of how to deal with what has happened.

Journalists in exile have seen the worst of autocracy. Those in our program have been beaten and shot. They’ve had their homes ransacked and family members assaulted. Our program deals with the walking wounded, psychologically and physically.

In the few days since the election, here’s what I’m hearing:

• Reports of racist hate mail from unknown sources is landing in the electronic mailboxes of young African Americans and Hispanics.? CNN reports that mail is showing up in 20 states so far.
• Widespread worry about the separation of Hispanic families. One of our former fellows told me that a large school in Maryland, which serves a Hispanic population, has rapidly converted classrooms into counseling spaces.

We expect there’ll be many other issues. Instead of waiting for our program to begin next year, we are working on addressing these problems as they come up. Hence, you’ll see new sessions addressing these issues in coming months.

Our foundation will remain resilient to what may come and remain hopeful. Our goal is to help journalists in exile (all in the US legally) recover from their wounds, earn a living as a journalist and keep informing our world about critical events.

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Randy Smith President, Alfred Friendly Press Partners

[email protected]

FROM FAISAL KARIMI, 2024 AFPP FELLOW

"The Alfred Friendly Fellowship has had a profound impact on both my life and career and helped me to rebuild my career in the United States. This fellowship provided a vital support network and renewed sense of purpose. It has empowered me to approach my work in exile with greater confidence and resilience, equipping me with tools essential for adapting to a new media landscape. This experience has not only enriched my professional expertise but also reinvigorated my commitment to journalism and advocacy, helping me rebuild a meaningful career path in challenging circumstances. I am sincerely grateful for this transformative opportunity."

Alfred Friendly Press Partners Fall Fundraising Campaign?

Running through the holiday season.

Each year, we start with zero funds to run next year’s program. So what we’re able to raise in the next two months will effectively determine the quality of our program and, quite honestly, whether we will have a program.

We will keep you up to date on our progress. We will spend your donation wisely and ethically.

Here’s how your donation can help one fellow:

• $25 supports meals for one day.
• $60 supports housing for one day.
• $100 supports training for one day.
• $300 supports extra educational activities throughout the fellowship – theatre, museums, and field trips.
• $500 supports transportation to and from the fellowship.
• $1,000 supports registration, travel, hotel to a professional conference.
• $2,000 supports a stipend. Fellows have many expenses while on a fellowship – rent at home, support for family.

I’ve been impressed by the impact that one person can have on the world since I was young. I hope you’ll be generous.

Donate to support the Summer 2025 Program NOW

Randy Smith President, Alfred Friendly Press Partners

[email protected]

AFPP Fall Workshops

The Alfred Friendly Press Partners is offering several virtual workshops and talks to help inform our fellows, friends and colleagues around the world. Please register using the links provided; all sessions are provided at no cost.

Open-Source Intelligence (OSINT) Limited Series. This series introduces some of the tools and concepts used by journalists to obtain information from open records. No prior knowledge is required.

Note Session 1 "Location, Location, Location: An Intro to Open-Source Intelligence (OSINT)" was on Oct 16th, and the recording can be found here.

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Session 2: OSINT Leaders Panel TOMORROW

Description: Join us for a conversation with OSINT leaders. Listen, ask questions, and better understand how these tools are used by expert journalists.

Date: Nov 13th at 10am CST.

Registration: Click here

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Session 3: Who knows what about You?

Description: Join us to learn how your internet presence can be used to identify who you are, where you live, and recover things you thought you deleted.

Date: Dec 18 at 10am CST.

Registration: Click here